Nightcrawler
Short description
Nightcrawler follows Lou Bloom, a man in Los Angeles struggling to find steady work who drifts into the world of freelance crime journalism. After witnessing how a camera crew covers the aftermath of a road accident, he acquires a camera and a police scanner and begins racing through the city at night to film crashes, robberies and violent incidents, which he then sells to local television news. A veteran news director, Nina Romina, buys his footage and encourages him to keep supplying material, and as his income and reputation grow, so does his willingness to push past the role of bystander. The conflict turns on how far Lou will go to get the footage that sells, and on the uneasy partnership between a man with no scruples about the job and a broadcaster whose ratings depend on it.
The film is a crime drama and thriller written and directed by Dan Gilroy, his first time in the director's chair, followed later by Roman J. Israel, Esq. and Velvet Buzzsaw. Jake Gyllenhaal plays Lou Bloom and also produced, alongside Jennifer Fox and Tony Gilroy, while Rene Russo appears as Nina and Riz Ahmed and Bill Paxton are among the supporting cast. Made for about 9 million dollars, it took in roughly 47 million worldwide, a strong return on a modest production. On IMDb its rating is 7.7 out of 10 from over twelve thousand votes, while a film critics' rating of 8.3 out of 10 from 279 reviews places it noticeably higher with reviewers than with the general audience.
What's left behind the scenes
- Preparing for his role, Jake Gyllenhaal lost almost 15 kg.
- During the filming of one scene, Jake Gyllenhaal became so immersed in his role that he broke a mirror with his hand, after which he had to be taken to the hospital where he received 14 stitches.
- Preparing for his role, Jake Gyllenhaal exercised up to 8 hours a day, and he either cycled or ran to the set.
- As part of their preparation for their roles, Jake Gyllenhaal and Riz Ahmed went on night patrols with real police officers around Los Angeles.
- This film marked Dan Gilroy's directorial debut.
- The film's climactic scene was shot on Laurel Canyon Boulevard in the San Fernando Valley, just a few blocks from where a shootout occurred in 1997 between two heavily armed bank robbers and the Los Angeles Police Department, resulting in the deaths of both robbers.
- The film Jake Gyllenhaal is watching on television is “The Court Jester” (1955).
- In the scene where Rick is fueling Lou's car, a poster for the film “Captain Phillips” (2013) can be seen in the background.
- Jake Gyllenhaal performed most of the driving scenes himself, including the chase scene at the end of the film.
- Two real “stringers” who trained Jake Gyllenhaal and Riz Ahmed appeared in an episode at the beginning of the film, where Louis arrives too late to the fire. They played the two people running away last.
- When Rick meets Lou for the interview, they are sitting in a diner. This same diner was used during the filming of "Drive" (2011).
- Before the detectives arrive at Lou's apartment, the camera shows a view from the street. It is visible that a red car is facing one way, but after the detectives leave, Lou looks out the window, and it is visible that the car is facing the other way.
- In the final chase scene, when Lou gets out of the driver's seat, the side rearview mirror is not damaged. However, in the next shot, as Lou walks towards the crash site, a dangling broken mirror is visible in the background.
- Around the 26th minute of the film, during the cafe scene, the amount of ice in the glass changes drastically with each cut.
- When Lou first arrives at the "House of Horrors", a close-up reveals a crew member running out of the frame at the back of the house.
- When Nina yells at Lou on the television station, microphones and several crew members can be seen in the window to Lou's right.
- The day after Lou witnesses a car accident, the news reports that it happened on Highway 110. However, the actual location is on Highway 105, near Los Angeles International Airport.
- When Lou and Rick drive to the scene of the fire, they pass a row of buildings (an IHOP restaurant, with its lights off, is particularly noticeable). However, after they make a sharp left turn, they pass the same buildings again (and this time, the IHOP restaurant's lights are on).
- When the detectives arrive at the television station after the shooting to confiscate the footage, Lou is seen being arrested. However, in the following scene, the detective states that Lou voluntarily came to the police station.
- Both television channels (CBS 2 and Channel 6) have the same advertising slogan, which wouldn't be the case in real life.
Auditions in India
Casting calls in USA
Castingi w Polsce
Кастинги в Україні
